Changbal

Changbal transforms a basement near Kyungpook National University in Daegu into a cafe, exhibition space, and creative studio. The absence of a visual connection to the outside and a limited budget became starting points for making the space function as an independent environment. Spatial divisions, furniture, lighting, and materials were considered together within the existing perimeter and structure.

The drawings and models below record the design, fabrication, and site coordination process. Sources are identified by the dates retained in the files; these studies are not as-built drawings in which every dimension, piece of equipment, and finish necessarily matches the completed work.

The cafe counter and communal table occupy the center, with exhibition and work areas alongside them. Beverage preparation routes, places to stay, and the independence of the studio were considered together. The spatial organization diagram separates surfaces and frames, furniture and lighting to show how each element contributes to the space as a whole.

An early rendering records a straight counter and an exposed ceiling. The July model studies the relationship between a counter with a curved end, a long communal table, and the surrounding seating. Placed side by side, the two sources show how movement and sightlines informed the spatial organization as well as the shapes of the furniture.

Scaffold frames, panels, and a large swing door divide the areas, with the structures supporting the surfaces designed alongside them. The wall construction drawing indicates finishes set away from existing walls and service spaces behind them. Construction photographs reveal the backs of the panels, connecting members, and ceiling ducts. Assembly and building services behind the finished surfaces were treated as integral parts of the space.

The communal table's lightness is not created by its long top alone. The fabrication study considers the overhead supports, wires, turnbuckles, and lighting connections as a single assembly. The horizontal plane and the slender vertical elements suspending it were adjusted together to give the impression that the table floats above the floor.

Ordering, beverage preparation, washing, refrigerated storage, and general storage are organized within a long work surface. Equipment, pipework, and access points were coordinated in plan, elevation, and section, while assembly drawings separate the frame, storage units, and countertop to examine their fabrication relationships. Photographs of the completed counter follow these drawings, allowing the design documentation and the working surfaces in use to be read together.

Site instructions record adjustments to align lighting height with the underside of beams and to accommodate the air conditioner location. The shelf detail coordinates concealed support angles, exposed pipework and outlets, and the height of the countertop. The continuity of horizontal lines took shape through these connections and coordination between trades.

The rough surfaces and exposed structure of the existing space are retained alongside refined metal surfaces and carefully resolved details. The floor finish plan distinguishes areas of intervention in the cafe and gallery from the studio, where the existing floor is retained. Rather than renewing every surface, the design makes the differences between materials more distinct. Thin, reflective metal helps reduce the visual weight of the basement space.

The entrance light was also studied in terms of its frame, wiring, and surface. Fabrication details are shown alongside the completed illuminated sign to demonstrate how the language of assembly and thin planes developed inside extends to the entrance.

Completed in October 2026, the space brings together the repeating horizontal lines of counters, tables, and shelves, slender supports, and the rough existing surfaces. Relationships between materials, forms, and activities are organized so that cafe, exhibition, and creative activities can coexist without fixed boundaries. Changbal aims to be an open space in which new experiences can emerge from those relationships.